McCracken County High School senior Sarah Adams was one of approximately 100 students from across the nation named a Semper-Fidelis All-American and chosen to attend the Battles Won Academy in Washington D.C. last July.

To be selected as a Semper Fidelis All-American, candidates must be at least a junior in high school, have a 3.5 GPA or higher, be active in their community and on a varsity sports team. McCracken County High School teacher and Assistant Girls Basketball Coach Chris Gregory accompanied Adams as her mentor on the trip to Washington.

“It was truly an honor to accompany Sarah as her mentor for the Inaugural Semper Fidelis All American Program,” Gregory said.

“This experience took us to a new place as leaders and equipped us with lessons to apply in our leadership roles here at McCracken County High School.”

The U.S. Marine Corps has hosted the Semper-Fidelis All-American Bowl for the past five years, an exhibition game that showcased the top 100 high school prospects in the country. Last September, the decision was made to change the program from being football-centered to include of male and female athletes from other sports.

Throughout the course of the three-day academy, which served as a leadership seminar, the attendees were divided into 16 teams and assigned a Marine mentor who guided them in a litany of teambuilding and athletic exercises. Adams and her fellow attendees visited the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, partook in a fitness challenge at the Under Armour’s headquarters, volunteered in a community service project in Baltimore, and capped off the trip with a scavenger hunt in DC at the National Mall. The seminar also included several speakers, including baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. and NFL running back Christian McCaffrey.

Adams, a senior, described the experience as an “amazing opportunity.”

“It was wonderful to be able to experience the types of things that they do at Quantico, make life-long connections, and quite humbling to be able to help a community break the ground on a community park,” Adams said. “This was honestly an experience I’ll never forget and I would definitely recommend it to any upcoming Junior, whether they see themselves going into the Armed Forces or not.”

While a strong GPA and extracurricular resume are needed to be nominated, those are just minimum requirements. According to the program website, the most critical part of the selection process if whether or not a nominee has demonstrated “a fighting spirit that improves the lives of their fellow citizens.”

Students, their families, employees, and potential employees of McCracken County Schools are hereby notified that the McCracken County School System does not discriminate on the
basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sex or disability in employment, vocational programs, or activities set forth in compliance with federal and
state statutes and regulations. Any persons having inquiries concerning McCracken County Schools™ compliance with Title II, Title VI, Title IX and/or Section 504 may contact:
Director of Special Education and/or Director of Personnel and/or Director of Pupil Personnel, 5347 Benton Road, Paducah, KY 42003, (270) 538-4000. The McCracken County School
System offers the following career and technical programs for all students regardless of race, color, national origin, including those with limited English proficiency, sex or
disability in grades 9-12: Agriculture, Business and Office Technology, Technology and Pre-Engineering. Persons seeking further information concerning the career and technical
education offerings and specific pre-requisite criteria should contact: Mr. Michael Ceglinski, Principal of McCracken County High School, 6530 New Highway 60 West, Paducah, KY
42001, 270-538-4300, Michael.ceglinski@mccracken.kyschools.us. To obtain this information in a language other than English, call 270-538-4000.